Sealing configurations for marine engines having a supercharger and charge air cooler

ABSTRACT

A marine engine has a powerhead having an cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a crankcase; a supercharger providing charge air for combustion in the powerhead, wherein the supercharger discharges the charge air to an outlet duct; and a charge air cooler cooling the charge air prior to combustion in the powerhead. The charge air cooler has an upstream inlet receiving the charge air from the outlet duct and a downstream outlet discharging the charge air to the cylinder head. The downstream outlet is coupled to the cylinder head by a first one of a rigid seal device and a flexible seal device and the upstream inlet is coupled to the outlet duct by a different, second one of the rigid seal device and flexible joint device.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to marine engines having asupercharger and charge air cooler, for example marine engines foroutboard motors.

BACKGROUND

The following U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference inentirety:

U.S. Design Pat. No. D834618 discloses a cowl for a marine engine havingport and starboard air intake ports.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,616,987 discloses a marine engine having a cylinderblock having first and second banks of cylinders that are located alonga longitudinal axis and extend transversely with respect to each otherin a V-shape so as to define a valley there between. A catalystreceptacle is located at least partially in the valley and contains atleast one catalyst that treats exhaust gas from the marine engine. Aconduit conveys the exhaust gas from the marine engine to the catalystreceptacle. The conduit receives the exhaust gas from the first andsecond banks of cylinders and conveys the exhaust gas to the catalystreceptacle. The conduit reverses direction only once with respect to thelongitudinal axis.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,651,906 discloses an apparatus for intake of air to anoutboard motor including an inlet receiving a mixture of air and waterfrom atmosphere surrounding the outboard motor and an outlet dischargingthe air. A conduit extends between the inlet and the outlet. The conduithas a vertically downwardly oriented first flow path, a verticallyupwardly oriented second flow path, and a junction joining the first andsecond flow paths. The junction is oriented with respect to the firstand second flow paths such that both centrifugal and gravitationalforces separate the water from the air as the mixture flows therethrough.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,806,110 discloses a marine propulsion device providedwith a turbocharger that is located above all, or at least a majorityof, the cylinders of an engine. The exhaust gases are directed to oneside of the engine and the compressed air is directed to an oppositeside of the engine. The turbocharger is located at a rear portion of theengine behind the crankshaft.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,584 discloses an engine control system thatdetermines a desired temperature range of air flowing into an intakemanifold of the engine as a function of an operating characteristic,such as the load on the engine or the operating speed of the engine. Abypass conduit is provided in parallel with a heat exchanger, whereinboth the bypass conduit and the heat exchanger are connected to anoutlet of a compressor to direct air from the compressor to an intakemanifold along the parallel paths. By manipulating an air valve in thebypass conduit, an engine control unit can regulate the temperature atan inlet of the intake manifold. A desired temperature is selected froma matrix of stored values as a function of the load on the engine andthe engine operating speed.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,082,932 discloses a method in which a marine propulsionsystem with a charge air compressor is controlled through the use of aclutch or a multiple speed transmission that allows the charge aircompressor to be engaged or disengaged. The engagement or disengagementof the charge air compressor can be a dual function of the demand for achange in torque and the engine speed.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,408,832 and 6,405,692 disclose an outboard motor withan engine having a screw compressor which provides a pressurized chargefor the combustion chambers of the engine. The screw compression hasfirst and second screw rotors arranged to rotate about vertical axeswhich are parallel to the axis of a crankshaft of the engine. A bypassvalve regulates the flow of air through a bypass conduit extending froman outlet passage of the screw compressor to the inlet passage of thescrew compressor. A charge air cooler is used in a preferred embodimentand the bypass conduit then extends between the cold side plenum of thecharge air cooler and the inlet of the compressor. The charge air coolerimproves the operating efficiency of the engine and avoids overheatingthe air as it passes through the supercharger after flowing through thebypass conduit. The bypass valve is controlled by an engine controlmodule in order to improve power output from the engine at low enginespeeds while avoiding any violation of existing limits on the power ofthe engine at higher engine speeds.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that arefurther described herein below in the Detailed Description. This Summaryis not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimedsubject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limitingscope of the claimed subject matter.

In certain examples disclosed herein, a marine engine has a powerheadhaving an cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a crankcase; asupercharger providing charge air for combustion in the powerhead,wherein the supercharger discharges the charge air to an outlet duct;and a charge air cooler cooling the charge air prior to combustion inthe powerhead. The charge air cooler has an upstream inlet receiving thecharge air from the outlet duct and a downstream outlet discharging thecharge air to the cylinder head. The downstream outlet is coupled to thecylinder head by a first one of a rigid seal device and a flexible sealdevice and the upstream inlet is coupled to the outlet duct by adifferent, second one of the rigid seal device and flexible jointdevice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of marine engines having a supercharger are described withreference to the following drawing figures. The same numbers are usedthroughout to reference like features and components.

FIG. 1 is a starboard side front perspective view of a marine engine forpropelling a marine vessel in water.

FIG. 2 is a port side front perspective view of the marine engine shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the marine engine.

FIG. 4 is starboard side front perspective and exploded view of themarine engine.

FIG. 5 is a port side rear perspective and exploded view of the marineengine.

FIG. 6 is a view of Section 6-6, shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a view of a supercharger mounted on a crankcase cover of theoutboard marine engine.

FIG. 8 is an exploded of the supercharger and crankcase cover shown inFIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is another exploded view of the supercharger and crankcase cover.

FIG. 10 is a view of Section 10-10, shown in FIG. 3, showingdistribution of charge air to a port charge air cooler on the outboardmarine engine, and recirculation of charge air to the supercharger.

FIG. 11 is a view of a lubrication apparatus for the supercharger,showing portions of the supercharger in phantom line.

FIG. 12 is a view of Section 12-12, shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is closer view of FIG. 12, showing flow of lubricant from thesupercharger to the crankcase.

FIG. 14 is an exploded view depicting a flexible seal device between theoutlet duct of the supercharger and the inlet of the port charge aircooler.

FIG. 15 is a view of Section 15-15, taken in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a view of Section 16-16, taken in FIG. 16.

FIG. 17 is an isolated view of the flexible seal device.

FIG. 18 is a view of Section 18-18, taken in FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-6 depict a marine engine 20 for use in an outboard motor. Themarine engine 20 includes a powerhead 22 consisting of an cylinder block24, cylinder heads 26 and a crankcase 28 having a crankcase cavity 29containing a crankshaft 30 (which is shown in FIGS. 6 and 12). Referringto FIGS. 4-6, a crankcase cover 32 encloses the crankshaft 30 in thecrankcase 28. Similar to what is disclosed in the above-incorporatedU.S. Pat. No. 9,616,987, the cylinder block 24 has first and secondbanks of cylinders 34, 36 (see FIG. 6) that are located along alongitudinal crankshaft axis 38 (see FIG. 12). The first and secondbanks of cylinders 34, 36 extend transversely with respect to each otherin a V-shape so as to define a valley 40 there between (see FIGS. 3 and6). An exhaust conduit 42 conveys exhaust gas from the marine engine 20for discharge to atmosphere. The exhaust conduit 42 (see FIGS. 1-5) iscentrally located in the valley 40 and receives the exhaust gas from thefirst and second banks of cylinders 34, 36 via the cylinder heads 26.The exhaust conduit 42 first conveys the exhaust gas upwardly relativeto the crankshaft axis 38, reverses direction, and then conveys theexhaust gas downwardly relative to the crankshaft axis 38. As isconventional, the combustion process in the marine engine 20 causesrotation of the crankshaft 30, which in turn causes rotation of acorresponding driveshaft, propeller shaft, and propeller configured topropel a marine vessel in water. The above-incorporated U.S. Pat. No.9,616,987 discloses this type of arrangement in more detail.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the marine engine 20 receives intake air forcombustion via an intake muffler 44 located along the starboard side ofthe marine engine 20. The intake muffler 44 is an elongated, inwardlycurved body with an upstream inlet 45 and a downstream outlet 46. Afilter or screen 47 is located on the upstream inlet 45 and isconfigured to filter particulate matter out of the incoming ambient air,which is received via an intake opening (not shown) on the aftward sideof a cowling 48 (see FIG. 1) enclosing the marine engine 20. The cowling48 is schematically shown in FIG. 1, and a suitable cowling havingintake openings is shown in more detail in the above-incorporated U.S.Design Pat. No. D834618. The interior of the intake muffler 44 is notshown in the drawings, but can include one or more expansion chambersand/or expansion passages for allowing expansion of the intake air andattenuation of sound generated by the intake air. The downstream outlet46 is coupled to a throttle body 50 having a throttle valve forcontrolling flow of intake air to the powerhead 22, as is conventional.In certain examples, opening and closing of the throttle valve can becontrolled by a computer controller, such as an engine control unit(ECU), as is conventional.

Through research and experimentation, the present applicant endeavoredto provide a supercharged marine engine 20 for use in an outboard motor,in a relatively small-sized package. Conventionally, superchargedoutboard motors have a discharge port for discharging charge air that islocated on the side of the supercharger that is directed away from thecylinder block so as to avoid overheating of the supercharger and/orcylinder block. However the present applicant has realized that thisoutward-facing discharge port is not conducive to a small package sizesince the charge air ultimately needs to be conveyed to the cylinderheads. For example, the charge air leaving the supercharger must beducted around a sealing flange, and around the perimeter of thesupercharger, before it is ducted along the sides of the engine to acharge air cooler and then the cylinder head. As described in thepresent disclosure, the present applicant has invented a marine enginehaving a supercharger that discharges charge air towards the cylinderblock and heads, thus advantageously providing a relatively smallerpackage size. Such an orientation for the charge air discharge is notconvention and in fact counterintuitive. Various inventive concepts arepresently disclosed that relate to this inventive concept and also thatare separate and distinct from this concept.

Referring to FIGS. 6-9, according to the present disclosure, the marineengine 20 includes a novel supercharger 52 mounted on an exteriormounting surface 54 of the crankcase cover 32, i.e., forwardly of themarine engine 20. The supercharger 52 and crankcase cover 32 areseparate components that are mounted together by fasteners, as shown bydash-and-dot lines in FIG. 9. In other (not shown) examples, thesupercharger 52 and crankcase cover 32 are formed together as amonolithic component. The supercharger 52 is configured to increase thepressure of the intake air in a conventional manner so as to providepressurized intake air, which is known in the art as “charge air”, forcombustion in the marine engine 20. In particular, the supercharger 52has a body 56 that is elongated with respect to the crankshaft axis 38(see FIG. 12), an intake air inlet 58 (see FIG. 9) located on an upperstarboard side of the body 56, and a centrally-located charge air outlet61 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) for conveying higher-pressure charge air from thesupercharger 52 for combustion in the powerhead 22. The configuration ofthe charge air outlet 61 is further described herein below. Thesupercharger 52 includes a supercharger cavity 60 (see FIG. 6)containing first and second rotors 62, 64, that are adjacent to eachother and elongated with respect to the crankshaft axis 38. Each rotor62, 64 has a plurality of vanes configured such that rotation of therotors 62, 64 compresses and thereby increases the pressure of theintake air received via the intake air inlet 58 and so as to dischargecharge air via the noted charge air outlet 61, as will be furtherdescribed herein below. Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the rotors 62, 64each have a supporting shaft 66 which is supported for rotation relativeto the body 56 of the supercharger 52 via bearings 68. Meshed gears 70,72 (see FIG. 11) connect the rotors 62, 64 together such that the rotors62, 64 rotate together. Meshed gears 70, 72 are located below the rotors62, 64 and thus as further described herein below receive and arelubricated by the lubricant draining down the supercharger cavity 60.Referring to FIG. 3, a drive pulley 75 connected to the top of thecrankshaft 30 causes rotation of a driven pulley 77 connected to therotor 62, which is coupled to meshed gear 72 (see FIG. 11). Meshed gear72 drives meshed gear 70, which is coupled to the rotor 64. Thus, therotors 62, 64 rotate in a synchronization without touching each other.The manner in which the rotors 62, 64 are caused to rotate can vary fromthat which is shown and described.

Referring to FIGS. 6-9, the body 56 of the supercharger 52 has a forwardside and an opposite, aftward side that is coupled to the exteriormounting surface 54 of the crankcase cover 32 via fasteners. The chargeair outlet 61 is located on the aftward side of the supercharger 52 andis oriented so as to discharge charge air towards the powerhead 22,i.e., towards the crankshaft axis 38. This is most clearly shown in FIG.6. The charge air outlet 61 is located generally between the rotors 62,64 and the crankcase 28 and consists of a central duct that extendsaftwardly, through both the body 56 of the supercharger 52 and throughan outer portion of the crankcase cover 32. The charge air outlet 61generally extends along an outlet axis 74 that intersects the crankshaftaxis 38, as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 8, the aftward side of the supercharger 52 hasperimeter mounting flanges 76 that define a radially outer boundary of aportion of the central duct. Referring to FIG. 9, correspondingperimeter mounting flanges 78 are provided on the crankcase cover 32 andfurther define a radially outer boundary of another portion of thecentral duct. The perimeter mounting flanges 76, 78 have respectiveouter surfaces 80, 82 that face each other when the supercharger 52 ismounted to the crankcase cover 32, as shown via dash-and-dot lines inFIG. 9. Bolt holes 85 are provided on the perimeter mounting flanges 76,78 for receiving fasteners that rigidly mount the supercharger 52 to thecrankcase cover 32, which in turn is rigidly mounted to the cylinderblock 24. Providing the central duct through both the supercharger 52and the crankcase cover 32 allows a more direct route for charge air,compared to the prior art, and thus advantageously allows for a smalleroverall package size.

Referring to FIG. 9, the exterior mounting surface 54 of the crankcasecover 32 has a rounded (e.g., crowned) outer deflection surface 84 thatis located within the boundary defined by the perimeter mounting flange78. The outer deflection surface 84 is configured to split and deflectflow of the charge air from the charge air outlet 61, which is an axialflow along outlet axis 74, towards port and starboard ducts 86, 88 (seeFIG. 8) on port and starboard sides of the powerhead 22. Referring toFIG. 8, the port and starboard ducts 86, 88 are formed through opposite(port and starboard) sides of the crankcase cover 32, and particularlythrough sidewalls of the noted perimeter mounting flanges 78 and bysidewalls of the supercharger 52. Thus the outlet ducting for the chargeair is partially formed in the crankcase cover 32 and partially formedin the supercharge 52, thereby advantageously negating a need for otherspace-consuming ducting and minimizing bolted joints.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 10, the marine engine 20 further includes portand starboard charge air coolers 90, 92 located on opposite (port andstarboard) sides of the powerhead 22. The port and starboard charge aircoolers 90, 92 are configured to cool the charge air from the port andstarboard ducts 86, 88, respectively, prior to discharge to thepowerhead 22. Each of the port and starboard charge air coolers 90, 92includes a body 94 that is elongated from top to bottom relative to thecrankshaft axis 38. The body 94 has an upstream inlet 96 (see FIGS. 4and 5) which is coupled to one of the port and starboard ducts 86, 88 sothat the upstream inlet 96 directly receives the charge air from therespective one of the port and starboard ducts 86, 88. The body 94 has aplurality of downstream outlets 98 that are vertically aligned anddischarge the charge air to the respective cylinder head 26 and moreparticularly to respective vertically aligned cylinders of the cylinderblock 24, for combustion therein. The upstream inlet 96 is generallycentrally-located with respect to the elongated body 94 and conveys thecharge air across an air-to-water cooling apparatus in the respectivecharge air cooler 90, 92.

Referring to FIG. 10, the port and starboard charge air coolers 90, 92each has a plurality of cooling passages 100 that convey cooling waterupwardly from a cooling water inlet 101 and back downwardly in the body94 to a cooling water outlet 103, as shown by arrows. A cooling waterpump 105 is configured to draw relatively cold cooling water from thebody of water in which the outboard motor is operating and pump thecooling water through the cooling passages 100. The cooling passages 100are spaced apart from each other and are located with respect to theupstream inlet 96 and downstream outlets 98 such that the charge airflows transversely through the spaces between the cooling passages 100,as shown by dashed arrows in FIG. 10. In other words, each of the portand starboard charge air coolers 90, 92 is elongated so that it extendsalong a charge air cooler axis 102 that is parallel to the crankshaftaxis 38. The cooling passages 100 are configured to convey the coolingwater in opposite directions (e.g. up and down) and parallel to thecharge air cooler axis 102. The charge air is conveyed through thecharge air cooler 90, 92, transversely to the charge air cooler axis 102and across the cooling passages 100. Flow of the charge air through thespaces between the cooling passages 100 promotes an exchange of heatbetween the relatively warm charge air and the relatively cold coolingpassages 100, thus cooling the charge air prior to distribution to thepowerhead 22 for combustion.

Referring to FIG. 10, a recirculation passage 104 recirculates a flow ofcharge air from the port duct 86 back to the supercharger 52. Inparticular, the recirculation passage 104 has an inlet 106 connected tothe starboard charge air cooler 90, downstream of the port duct 86. Therecirculation passage 104 extends upwardly relative to the crankshaftaxis 38 to an outlet 108 located near the top of the starboard side ofthe supercharger 52. A valve 110 is located at the outlet 108 and isconfigured to control recirculation flow of charge air back to thesupercharger 52 via an inlet 112 (see FIG. 8) to which the outlet 108 isconnected. The valve 110 is utilized to control the pressure of thecharge air in both charge air coolers 90, 92. Opening the valve 110allows pressurized charge air to be conveyed via passage 104 back to thelow pressure inlet side of the supercharger 52, as indicated bydash-and-dot lines in FIG. 10. The valve 110 is controlled by an enginecontrol unit associated with the marine engine 20 and is positioned intoand between open, partially open and closed positions accordingly basedon power demand of the marine engine, charge air temperature, and/orother parameters associated with the marine engine 20.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-13, the supercharger 52 is lubricated vialubricant (e.g., oil) from the powerhead 22. In the illustrated example,the lubricant is supplied to the supercharger 52 via a hose conduit froma lubricant gallery in the port cylinder head. The lubricant drains downthe supercharger 52, as shown, and then back to the crankcase 28.Through research and experimentation, the present applicant hasdetermined that the rate of lubricant draining out of the supercharger52 can be negatively influenced by lubricant slinging off of thecrankshaft 30 in the crankcase 28. The applicant found that if thelubricant does not properly drain from the supercharger 52 fast enough,the lubricant in the supercharger 52 heats up and can degrade. Also, thebearings 68 in the supercharger 52 and seals for the supercharger 52 candegrade. In certain instances this can also drive oil out of thesupercharger vents, which is undesirable. According to the presentdisclosure, a novel drainage port 114 is provided, which is configuredto efficiently and effectively drain lubricant from the supercharger 52to the crankcase 28. The drainage port 114 is formed through the body 56of the supercharger 52 and through the exterior mounting surface 54 ofthe crankcase cover 32. As shown in FIG. 9, the crankcase cover 32 has aperimeter mating flange 116 that defines a radially outer boundary ofthe drainage port 114. The supercharger 52 has a corresponding perimetermating flange 118 that defines a radially outer boundary of the drainageport 114. The perimeter mating flange 116 and the perimeter matingflange 118 have corresponding outer surfaces 120, 122 that face eachother when the supercharger 52 is mounted to the crankcase cover 32, asshown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The drainage port 114 is located below thelowermost connecting rod and crankshaft counterweight in the crankcase32, See FIG. 12.

As described herein above, the supercharger cavity 60 contains the firstand second rotors 62, 64 that are each supported by the noted upper andlower bearings 68 (upper bearings not shown). The supercharger cavity 60is configured such that lubricant in the supercharger 52 drains bygravity downwardly onto the upper and lower bearings 68, to a slopedfloor 124 of the supercharger cavity 60, and then to the drainage port114. In particular, as shown by arrows in FIGS. 11 and 13, the lubricantis conveyed through a lateral gallery passage 126 and then is drainedand/or sprayed via restricted (i.e., narrowed) branch passages 128and/or nozzles 130 onto the bearings 68 and onto the gears 70, 72. Thelubricant drains from these areas by gravity to the sloped floor 124 ofthe supercharger cavity 60 and then to the drainage port 114. Thecrankcase 28 also contains lubricant, as is conventional, which drainsby gravity downwardly to a floor 132 of the crankcase cavity 29. Thefloor 124 of the supercharger cavity 60 is sloped towards the crankcase28 so as to cause the lubricant to drain towards the drainage port 114.The floor of the crankcase cavity 29 is sloped generally towards thecrankshaft axis 38 so as to cause the lubricant to drain away from thedrainage port 114. Thus, the lubricant efficiently drains from thesupercharger cavity 60, through the drainage port 114, and along thecrankcase cavity 29 for conveyance to an (not shown) underlyingconventional lubricant sump.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, a lower deflection surface 134 is locatedin the crankcase 28, more particularly on the crankcase cover 32,adjacent to the drainage port 114. The lower deflection surface 134transversely protrudes into the drainage port 114 and is configured todeflect lubricant from the drainage port (i.e. lubricant from thesupercharger cavity 60 downwardly towards the floor 132 of the crankcasecavity 29 and noted sump. The lubricant in the crankcase cavity 29drains down a forward internal surface 136 of the crankcase cover 32 andonto an upper deflection surface 138 located oppositely from the lowerdeflection surface 134. The upper deflection surface 138 deflects thelubricant aftwardly, causing it to merge with the lubricant that hasalready flowed through the drainage port 114 in an efficient manner, forfurther drainage together to the underlying sump. The lubricant iscaused to efficiently drain back to the crankcase 28 at a location thatis below the lowest conrod and counterweight of the crankshaft 30 (seeFIG. 12). The lubricant drains through the drainage port 114, which hasthe louvered or shrouded opening, as described above. The speciallocation and configuration (including shape) of the drainage port 114prevents the lubricant coming off the crankshaft 30 from splashing into(or impinging onto) the flow of lubricant coming out of and creating abackpressure on the drainage port 114.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, a plurality of retention features 140 arelocated on the exterior surface 142 of the floor 124 of the superchargercavity 60. The retention features 140 include flanges 144 that arespaced apart from each other and configured to retain wires and/or hosesfor the marine engine 20, in particular for precise placement of thosewires and hoses during assembly of the marine engine 20. Theconfiguration of these items advantageously prevents pinching of thewires and hoses during assembly and chafing of the wires and hosesduring operation of the marine engine 20. In this example, the floor 124of the supercharger cavity 60 is removably attached to the body 56 ofthe supercharger 52 by removable fasteners 146, which allows easy accessfor serviceability of the meshed gears 70, 72.

Through research and experimentation, the present applicant has alsodetermined that both the lubricant slinging off the cranktrain in thecrankcase 28 and the charge air discharged from the supercharger 52 aretypically very hot, and it is preferable to keep these two heat sourcesinsulated from each other. The present applicant has found it to bebeneficial to keep both of these heat sources as cool as possible.However, to maintain a small package size of the marine engine and thusdischarge charge air towards the crankcase 28, the present applicantfound it to be challenging to properly insulate these two heat sources.Through research and experimentation, the applicant realized they couldincorporate a cooling apparatus between the charge air outlet and thecrankcase, and also add improved charge air coolers to thereby keep thecharge air suitably cool, and add an oil cooler to keep the lubricantsuitably cool. Referring to FIGS. 7-9, a novel cooling passage 150conveys cooling fluid (e.g., water from the body of water in which themarine engine 20 is operated) between the crankcase cover 32 and thesupercharger 52 so that the cooling fluid cools both the metal of thesupercharger 52, crankcase cover 32, lubricant in the crankcase 28 andthe lubricant in the supercharger 52. During research andexperimentation, the present applicant has found that cooling of thesupercharger 52 allows for smaller clearance space between the internalsurfaces of the supercharger 52 and the rotors 62, 64, which increasesefficiency. Compressing the air creates heat, so the supercharger 52naturally gets hot, and as it does it becomes less efficient. Coolingthe supercharger 52 thus increases efficiency. Cooling the supercharger52 also provides secondary benefits including cooling of associatedbearings, seals, lubricant, charge air, etc. The cooling passage 150 isdefined by a cooling jacket having a first (forward) side 152 on thesupercharger 52 (see FIG. 8) and an opposite, (aftward) second side 154on the crankcase cover 32. The first and second sides 152, 154 areconfigured such that coupling the supercharger 52 to the crankcase cover32 (as shown in dash-and-dot lines in FIG. 9) encloses the coolingpassage 150.

The cooling passage 150 is advantageously located adjacent to the chargeair outlet 61 and particularly on opposite sides of the noted centralduct such that the cooling fluid cools the charge air as it is conveyedfrom the supercharger 52 towards the respective charge air coolers 90,92. Referring to FIG. 12, the cooling passage 150 is defined by anaxially upper cooling jacket 158 and an axially lower cooling jacket160, which are spaced apart from each other. The axially upper and lowercooling jackets 158, 160 are on axially opposite sides of the charge airoutlet 61 such that the charge air outlet 61 is located axially betweenthe upper and lower cooling jackets 158, 160. A pump 162 (see FIG. 9)pumps cooling fluid into the cooling passage 150 from a body of water inwhich the marine engine 20 is operated. The pump 162 is connected to thelower cooling jacket 160 via an inlet port 164. A cooling line 166(e.g., hose, see FIG. 8) conveys the cooling fluid from the lowercooling jacket 160 to the upper cooling jacket 158 when the marineengine 20 and/or pump 162 is operating. The cooling line 166 also drainscooling water from the upper cooling jacket 158 to the lower coolingjacket 160 when the marine engine 20 and/or pump 162 stop operating. Inembodiments where the cooling fluid is water, all of the cooling wateris advantageously drained back to the body of water in which the marineengine 20 is operating in a conventional manner. Referring to FIG. 9,perimeter mating flanges 168, 170 on the supercharger 52 and crankcasecover 32 surround the respective upper and lower cooling jacket 158,160. Each of the perimeter mating flanges 168, 170 have outer surfaces172, 173 that face each other when the supercharger 52 is mounted to thecrankcase cover 32.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 12, fins are located on the forward internalsurface 136 of the crankcase cover 32, opposite the cooling passage 150.The fins are configured to facilitate heat exchange between the coolingfluid and the lubricant in the crankcase 28. In particular, FIG. 8 showsan axially upper plurality of fins 176 on the forward internal surface136, opposite the axially upper cooling jacket 158. An axially oppositelower plurality of fins 178 is located on the forward internal surface136, opposite the axially lower cooling jacket 160. Each of the firstand second pluralities of fins 176, 178 are angled relative to thecrankshaft axis 38, thereby facilitating drainage of the lubricant.During research and experimentation, the present applicant determinedthat it is advantageous to angle the pluralities of fins 176, 178relative to the crankshaft 30. Doing so was found to facilitate betterdrainage of lubricant, which is flung off of the crankshaft 30 at asimilar angle. The angled pluralities of fins 176, 178 were found tofacilitate improved drainage compared to straight vertical or straighthorizontal fins. The upper and lower pluralities of fins 176, 178 thusfacilitate heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the lubricant inthe crankcase 28. As shown in FIG. 12, the lower plurality of fins 176is adjacent and smoothly transitions to the lower deflection surface138, thus promoting drainage of the lubricant within the crankcasecavity 29. The area of the crankcase cover 32 located along the centralduct for charge air (i.e. along the outer deflection surface 84) isdevoid of cooling fins to minimize heat transfer in either direction.

As shown in FIG. 12, the cooling passage 150, and particularly asdefined by the lower cooling jacket 160, is located adjacent to and inparticular immediately above portions of the drainage port 114, thusfacilitating heat exchange between the relatively cold cooling fluid andrelatively hot lubricant. The cooling passage 150, and particularly asdefined by the lower cooling jacket 160, is located between the centralduct for conveying charge air from the supercharger 52 and the lubricantdrainage surfaces in the supercharger 52 and crankcase cover 32, thusfacilitating heat exchange between the relatively cold cooling fluid andrelatively hot lubricant. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a lower portion ofthe radially outer boundary of the lower cooling jacket 160 is locatedadjacent to and particularly immediately above an upper portion of theradially outer boundary of the drainage port 114.

The cooling passage 150 is thus advantageously configured to cool boththe crankcase 28, including the crankcase cover 32, and the supercharger52, including its housing, bearings, seals, and lubricant and charge airtherein.

The crankcase cover 32 thus is configured to perform severaladvantageous functions, including: (A) containing lubricant splashingoff the cranktrain, (B) supporting the supercharger, (C) forming part ofthe outlet duct of the supercharger, (D) splitting the flow of chargeair into two branches, namely port and starboard branches, (E) formingpart of the oil cavity of the supercharger gears and providing a pathback to the crankcase for drainage of lubricant and (F) forming part ofthe water jackets for cooling fluid to enable cooling of the lubricantin the crankcase and the supercharger housing (particularly around thedischarge outlet), and the outlet air of the supercharger.

The charge air coolers 90, 92 thus are configured to perform severaladvantageous functions, including: (A) supporting an air-to-water heatexchanger for cooling the charge air, (B) allowing for attachment of abypass duct, (C) incorporating a manifold downstream of the heatexchanger to distribute air to multiple intake ports in the cylinderheads, (D) each charge air cooler sharing a same casting for efficientmanufacturing, and (E) having inlet seals to a respective port orstarboard discharge port on the crankcase cover. The supercharger 52 isadvantageously configured to (A) compress charge air, (B) contain anddrain lubricant, (C) forms part of the outlet duct and associatesbranches, (D) form part of the noted water jackets, (E) and acceptdirect mounting of the bypass valve.

The present disclosure thus provides a novel marine engine andsupercharger combination that provides an efficient use of componentsand space. However in particular, it should be noted that while theapplication discloses embodiments wherein the cooling passage 150 isimplemented in conjunction with the aftwardly facing central duct forcharge air, in other embodiments the cooling passage 150 can beimplemented with a supercharger having a forwardly facing duct forcharge air.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the port charge air cooler 90 is rigidlymounted to the port cylinder head 26, at the downstream outlets 98, viaa conventional air-tight, rigid seal device 190. The rigid seal device190 can for example include a conventional gasket seal that is axiallycompressed between opposing mounting faces 194, 196 (see FIGS. 5 and 4,respectively) on the downstream outlets 98 and on the port cylinder head26, respectively. Similarly, the crankcase cover 32 is rigidly mountedto the crankcase 28, as described herein above. Thus the above-describedoutlet duct 86 for charge air, which extends through the crankcase cover32, is rigidly located with respect to the port cylinder head 26. Duringassembly, the port cylinder head 26 and crankcase cover 32 are rigidlymounted to the powerhead 22. Next, the port charge air cooler 90 mustalso be mounted to the powerhead 22 in an air-tight manner so as tosafely convey the charge air from the supercharger 52 to the powerhead22.

Through research and experimentation, the present inventors havedetermined that it can be very challenging to assemble the port chargeair cooler 90 between the above-described fixed cast-metal components,especially in a mass production operation. Conventional metal castingprocesses typically do not produce multiple metal components havingexactly the same dimensions. Each cast metal component will usually varyslightly in dimension from other cast metal components formed by thesame process. This is referred to in the art as “manufacturingtolerances”. These “manufacturing tolerances” make it challenging toassemble more than two cast metal components together in a fixedrelationship. Upon realizing this problem, the present inventorsdetermined that it would be advantageous to specially configure marineengine 20 in a way that accommodates easier assembly of the port chargeair cooler 90 between the fixedly-mounted cast metal cylinder head 26and fixedly-mounted cast metal crankcase cover 32, despite theinevitable manufacturing tolerances of these components. Through furtherresearch and experimentation, the present inventors determined that itwould be possible and advantageous to add a flexible seal device to themarine engine 20, which better accommodates assembly of the respectivecast metal components, especially in a mass-production operation.

Referring to FIGS. 14-18, the outlet duct 86 is defined by the perimetermounting flange 78, which has a perimeter mounting face 200. Similarly,the upstream inlet 96 of the port charge air cooler 90 has a perimetermounting flange 79, having a perimeter mounting face 202. The perimetermounting faces 200, 202 face each other. According to the presentdisclosure, a novel flexible seal device 201 is sandwiched between themounting faces 202, 204, in particular being compressed there between byone or more threaded fasteners 206 (FIG. 14) and/or any other suitabledevice for clamping or otherwise axially compressing the mountingflanges together. Referring to FIGS. 16-18, the flexible seal device 201has opposing gasket seals 208 and a supporting bracket 210 locatedaxially between the opposing gasket seals 208. The bracket 210 can bemade of plastic or metal or suitable material and has axially outwardlyopposing channels 212 in which the respective gasket seals 208 areretained. Each channel 212 has a base wall 214 and axially-extending andopposing sidewalls 216. The channels 212 and gasket seals 208 extendaround the respective perimeters of the outlet duct 86 and upstreaminlet 96. Each gasket seal 208 has a body 218 and legs 220 that extendfrom the body 218, radially towards the sidewalls 216. Each gasket seal208 also has feet 222 (FIG. 17) that axially extend from the legs 220along the opposing sidewalls 216. A radial gap 223 exists between thebody 218 and the feet 222. Each gasket seal 208 is made of a flexiblematerial, such as rubber, which has a natural resiliency. The naturalresiliency of the gasket seals 208 causes the gasket seals 208 tonaturally retain the shape shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 when the gasketseals 208 are not being compressed between the mounting faces 202, 204and bracket 210, as will be further described herein below.

FIGS. 15 and 16 depict the flexible seal device 201 after assembly ofthe crankcase cover 32 and port charge air cooler 90, in particular byaligning the mounting faces 200, 202 and inserting and tightening thethreaded fasteners 206 in corresponding fastener holes (FIG. 14) formedin the mounting flanges 78, 79 of the outlet duct 86 and upstream inlet96, and in the bracket 210. Tightening of the threaded fasteners 206compresses the bodies 218 of the gasket seals 208 between the respectivemounting faces 200, 202 and base walls 214 of the channels 212 of thebracket 210. Axially compressing the gasket seals 208 causes the bodies218 to axially shorten and radially expand, i.e., radially outwardlytowards the feet 222 and axially-extending sidewalls 216, into theradial gap 223. The amount of compression applied on the mountingflanges thus will determine the size of the axial gap 225 (FIG. 16)between the mounting faces 200, 202 and thus the amount of compressionof the bodies 218. Upon compression, the axially-extending sidewalls 216will advantageously limit noted radial expansion of the bodies 218 andthus radially retain the gasket seals 208 in the channels 212,preventing blowout of the gasket seal 208. Loosening the fasteners 206allows the gasket seals 208 to axially expand under force from theirrespective natural resiliency, allowing the bodies 218 to axiallylengthen into the position shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, i.e., back radiallyinwardly and axially outwardly from the respective channel (FIG. 18).

Thus, the flexible seal device 201 provides an air-tight seal betweenthe outlet duct 86 and upstream inlet 96, while accommodating variouslengths of axial gap 225, thereby advantageously accommodating theabove-described manufacturing tolerances in the other, rigidly mountedcast metal components. The length of the axial gap 225 can varydepending on the noted tolerances and depending on the compressionapplied by the fasteners 206. The channels 212 are intentionally sizedto fully contain all of the bodies 218 of the gasket seals 208, even ina situation wherein the fasteners 206 are fully compressed so as tobring the mounting faces 200, 202 onto the axially opposing surfaces ofthe bracket 210, i.e., such that the axial gap 225 is reduced to thethickness of the bracket 210. In such a fully compressed state, thegasket seals 208 remain fully encased in the channels 212 and thus arenot permitted to radially “blow out” and fail, thus causing failureunder the air-tight seal. Advantageously, the relative sizes and shapesof the gasket seals 208 and channels 212 are such that these featuresmaintain an air-tight seal while preventing blow out failure, up untiland including when the axial gap 225 is reduced to the thickness of thebracket 210. The axial pressure required to compress the body 218 issufficient to adequately seal in the charge air, even when the gap isquite a bit larger than the width of the bracket 210.

It will thus be seen that the above-described flexible seal joint 201can advantageously be a reusable device that facilitates connection ofthe noted rigidly-connected cast metal components, despite inevitablemanufacturing tolerances that occur amongst such components and also toadvantageously accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of thosesame components.

In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to bebroadly construed. The different apparatuses described herein may beused alone or in combination with other apparatuses. Variousequivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A marine engine comprising: a powerhead having acylinder block, a cylinder head, and a crankcase; a superchargerproviding charge air for combustion in the powerhead, wherein thesupercharger discharges the charge air to an outlet duct; and a chargeair cooler cooling the charge air prior to combustion in the powerhead,the charge air cooler comprising an upstream inlet receiving the chargeair from the outlet duct and a downstream outlet discharging the chargeair to the cylinder head, wherein the downstream outlet is coupled tothe cylinder head by a first one of a first seal device and a secondseal device which is more flexible than the first seal device, whereinthe upstream inlet is coupled to the outlet duct by a different, secondone of the first seal device and second seal device, and wherein thesecond seal device comprises opposing gasket seals and a bracket locatedaxially between the gasket seals.
 2. The marine engine according toclaim 1, wherein the second seal device is axially expandable andaxially compressible.
 3. The marine engine according to claim 1, whereinthe bracket comprises opposing channels in which the gasket seals areretained.
 4. The marine engine according to claim 3, wherein each gasketseal comprises a body that is axially compressible into the channel andaxially expandable out of the channel.
 5. The marine engine according toclaim 4, wherein each channel comprises a base wall and opposingaxially-extending sidewalls, and wherein axially compressing the gasketseals causes the bodies to radially outwardly expand in the channelstowards the axially-extending sidewalls, upon which theaxially-extending sidewalls retain the gasket seal in the channel. 6.The marine engine according to claim 5, wherein each gasket sealcomprises legs that radially extend from the body towards theaxially-extending sidewalls.
 7. The marine engine according to claim 6,wherein the each gasket seal further comprises feet that axially extendfrom the legs along the axially-extending sidewalls.
 8. The marineengine according to claim 7, wherein a radial gap exists between thebody and the feet, into which radial gap the body radially expands whenthe gasket seal is axially compressed.
 9. A marine engine comprising: apowerhead having a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a crankcase; asupercharger providing charge air for combustion in the powerhead,wherein the supercharger discharges the charge air to an outlet duct;and a charge air cooler cooling the charge air prior to combustion inthe powerhead, the charge air cooler comprising an upstream inletreceiving the charge air from the outlet duct and a downstream outletdischarging the charge air to the cylinder head, wherein the downstreamoutlet is coupled to the cylinder head by a first one of a first sealdevice and a second seal device which is more flexible than the firstseal device, wherein the upstream inlet is coupled to the outlet duct bya different, second one of the first seal device and second seal device,and wherein the downstream outlet is coupled to the cylinder head by thefirst seal device, wherein the upstream inlet is coupled to the outletduct by the second seal device, and wherein the second seal devicecomprises a mounting flange on the upstream inlet, a mounting flange onthe outlet duct, opposing gasket seals, and a bracket located axiallybetween the gasket seals, and further wherein the gasket seals andbracket are sandwiched between the mounting flanges.
 10. The marineengine according to claim 9, wherein the bracket comprises opposingchannels in which the gasket seals are retained and further wherein eachgasket seal comprises a body that is axially compressible into thechannel and axially expandable out of the channel.
 11. The marine engineaccording to claim 10, wherein each channel comprises a base wall andopposing axially-extending sidewalls, and wherein axially compressingthe mounting flange on the upstream inlet with respect to the mountingflange on the outlet duct causes the bodies of the gasket seals tocompress into the channels and expand radially outwardly towards thesidewalls, upon which the sidewalls retain the gasket seal in thechannel.
 12. The marine engine according to claim 9, wherein an axialgap exists between the mounting flange on the upstream inlet and themounting flange on the outlet duct.
 13. The marine engine according toclaim 12, wherein the axial gap has a length that varies during movementof the second seal device and wherein each channel is sized large enoughto retain all of the body of the gasket seal when the axial gap isreduced to a thickness of the bracket.
 14. The marine engine accordingto claim 9, further comprising a crankcase containing a crankshaft,wherein operation of the marine engine causes rotation of thecrankshaft; and a crankcase cover enclosing the crankshaft in thecrankcase, wherein the supercharger is mounted on the crankcase cover,and wherein the outlet duct extends through the crankcase cover.
 15. Themarine engine according to claim 14, further comprising perimetermounting flanges on the crankcase cover and the supercharger thattogether define radially outer boundaries of the outlet duct and thathaving mounting faces that face each other when the supercharger ismounted to the crankcase cover.
 16. A marine engine comprising: apowerhead having a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a crankcase; asupercharger providing charge air for combustion in the powerhead,wherein the supercharger discharges the charge air to an outlet duct;and a charge air cooler cooling the charge air prior to combustion inthe powerhead, the charge air cooler comprising an upstream inletreceiving the charge air from the outlet duct and a downstream outletdischarging the charge air to the cylinder head, wherein the downstreamoutlet is coupled to the cylinder head by a first one of a first sealdevice and a second seal device which is more flexible than the firstseal device, wherein the upstream inlet is coupled to the outlet duct bya different, second one of the first seal device and second seal device,and wherein the first seal device comprises a mounting flange on thedownstream outlet, a mounting flange on an inlet of the cylinder head,and a gasket seal that extends around an entire periphery of thedownstream outlet, wherein the gasket seal is rigidly, axiallycompressed between the mounting flange on the downstream outlet and themounting flange on the cylinder head.
 17. An outboard motor comprising apowerhead having a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a crankcase; asupercharger providing charge air for combustion in the powerhead,wherein the supercharger discharges the charge air to an outlet duct;and a charge air cooler cooling the charge air prior to combustion inthe powerhead, the charge air cooler comprising an upstream inletreceiving the charge air from the outlet duct and a downstream outletdischarging the charge air to the cylinder head, wherein the downstreamoutlet is coupled to the cylinder head by a first one of a first sealdevice and a second seal device which is more flexible than the firstseal device, wherein the upstream inlet is coupled to the outlet duct bya different, second one of the first seal device and second seal device,wherein the downstream outlet is coupled to the cylinder head by thefirst seal device, wherein the upstream inlet is coupled to the outletduct by the second seal device, and wherein the second seal devicecomprises a mounting flange on the upstream inlet, a mounting flange onthe outlet duct, opposing gasket seals, and a bracket located axiallybetween the gasket seals, and further wherein the gasket seals andbracket are sandwiched between the mounting flanges.
 18. The outboardmotor according to claim 17, wherein the bracket comprises opposingchannels in which the gasket seals are retained and further wherein eachgasket seal comprises a body that is axially compressible into thechannel and axially expandable out of the channel; wherein each channelcomprises a base wall and opposing axially-extending sidewalls, andwherein axially compressing the mounting flange on the upstream inletwith respect to the mounting flange on the outlet duct causes the bodiesof the gasket seals to compress into the channels and expand radiallyoutwardly towards the axially-extending sidewalls, upon which theaxially-extending sidewalls retain the gasket seal in the channel.
 19. Aseal device for sealing between axially opposing mounting faces of firstand second conduits, the seal device comprising: opposing gasket sealsconfigured to form a seal with the mounting faces, respectively; and abracket located axially between the gasket seals, the bracket comprisingchannels in which the gasket seals are retained, respectively, eachchannel having a base wall and sidewalls; wherein each gasket sealcomprises a body, legs which extend from the body towards the sidewalls,and feet which extend from the legs along the sidewalls, and wherein aradial gap exists between the body and the feet; and wherein the sealdevice is configured so that axially compressing the mounting facestogether compresses the body of each gasket seal, causing the body ofeach gasket seal to axially shorten and to radially outwardly expandtowards the feet into the radial gap, and further wherein the sidewallslimit radial expansion of the body so as to prevent blowout of thegasket seals.
 20. The seal device according to claim 19, wherein eachgasket seal has a natural resiliency which causes the gasket seal toretain a shape when the gasket seal is not compressed.
 21. The sealdevice according to claim 20, wherein decompressing the mounting facesallows each gasket seal to radially expand under force of the naturalresiliency, radially inwardly and axially outwardly from the channel.22. The seal device according to claim 19, wherein an amount ofcompression applied on the first and second conduits determines a sizeof an axial gap between the first and second conduits and thus an amountof compression of the bodies of the gasket seals.
 23. The seal deviceaccording to claim 19, wherein the gasket seals and the channels areconfigured to extend completely around the mounting faces, respectively.